89 Beretta GT 2.8 V6 belt tensioner removal
89 Beretta GT 2.8 V6 belt tensioner removal
Hello Beretta fans! First time caller here. I'm sure I'll be stopping by frequently tho.
I just scored a low mileage (approx. 40,000) Beretta with the 2.8 engine as a second car for my spouse. The reason for the low mileage is that this was the proverbial grocery-getter for a senior lady who recently passed away. Always garage kept it has no rust which is rare here in the rust-belt. Anyways...
The first order of business is the floppy serpentine belt tensioner. My question is: how do I remove the tensioner in light of the small tensioner/frame clearance? I'd like to avoid loosening the subframe bolts to move the engine. I searched the forum threads and read that another method is to remove the pass side tire, then the plastic inner fender shroud which should give enough clearance to access the tensioner bolt but the thread did not specify if this method applies to the 2.8 engine.
Can someone with a 2.8 who's been there/done that confirm this? Thanks in advance!
I just scored a low mileage (approx. 40,000) Beretta with the 2.8 engine as a second car for my spouse. The reason for the low mileage is that this was the proverbial grocery-getter for a senior lady who recently passed away. Always garage kept it has no rust which is rare here in the rust-belt. Anyways...
The first order of business is the floppy serpentine belt tensioner. My question is: how do I remove the tensioner in light of the small tensioner/frame clearance? I'd like to avoid loosening the subframe bolts to move the engine. I searched the forum threads and read that another method is to remove the pass side tire, then the plastic inner fender shroud which should give enough clearance to access the tensioner bolt but the thread did not specify if this method applies to the 2.8 engine.
Can someone with a 2.8 who's been there/done that confirm this? Thanks in advance!
Re: 89 Beretta GT 2.8 V6 belt tensioner removal
Don't know about removing the wheel to access it, but I would start with a low-profile socket-wrench, and go from above. I've got a selection from the over-labeled Snap-On down to Harbor Freight's Pittsburgh line, they all work fine as they should, but my lowest-of-the-low profile is an O'Reilly's wrench with a locking pivot-head. Despite having a 'quick release' button that most low-profile ratchet-heads lack, this is the slimmest 3/8" ratchet I own, aside from some Craftsman pass-through designs I bought into several years ago.
If needed, remember the ratcheting flat-wrenches, like the Gear-Wrenches. Knock-offs of decent quality are also available from Harbor Freight. But for those, you do need to at least START the tensioner bolt out, and if you just can't get anything else in there, you can start it out with a serpentine-belt tool remover -not kidding. It isn't meant to pull the bolt itself, and most have no ratcheting function, so you will be limited to 1/12th of a turn at a time, but some of them come with shallow-wall low-profile sockets and are a flat-bar's thickness... If you have one inch of clearance, you can probably get that tool in there.
The bolt itself just stays in the tensioner-body, so you shouldn't be too concerned over the length of it, just the length of its' thread 'grip' into the timing-cover, maybe an inch or so, depending on if your engine has one of the long rounded-tipped self-guiding bolts GM used on some of them. Remember to slip the bolt into the new tensioner before sliding it down between the engine and the frame-rail.
Now, ready for the REAL trick here?
That space should not be too tight to access, in fact it didn't used to be. But once the engine-mounts started wearing, the engine sagged and started leaning out towards the frame-rail. The 2.8L has a steel oil-pan. Put a wooden block (2x4 is sufficient, I suppose a square of 3/8 or better plywood would also work) under the belt-side of the engine and lift it with a jack. Be careful not to lift too hard, but you should be able to raise it a couple of inches -or more- in most cases. Check your belt-tensioner clearance now...
*Be aware though, if your fingers are down in there and if that jack slips... Crunch!
Welcome to the site.
If needed, remember the ratcheting flat-wrenches, like the Gear-Wrenches. Knock-offs of decent quality are also available from Harbor Freight. But for those, you do need to at least START the tensioner bolt out, and if you just can't get anything else in there, you can start it out with a serpentine-belt tool remover -not kidding. It isn't meant to pull the bolt itself, and most have no ratcheting function, so you will be limited to 1/12th of a turn at a time, but some of them come with shallow-wall low-profile sockets and are a flat-bar's thickness... If you have one inch of clearance, you can probably get that tool in there.
The bolt itself just stays in the tensioner-body, so you shouldn't be too concerned over the length of it, just the length of its' thread 'grip' into the timing-cover, maybe an inch or so, depending on if your engine has one of the long rounded-tipped self-guiding bolts GM used on some of them. Remember to slip the bolt into the new tensioner before sliding it down between the engine and the frame-rail.
Now, ready for the REAL trick here?
That space should not be too tight to access, in fact it didn't used to be. But once the engine-mounts started wearing, the engine sagged and started leaning out towards the frame-rail. The 2.8L has a steel oil-pan. Put a wooden block (2x4 is sufficient, I suppose a square of 3/8 or better plywood would also work) under the belt-side of the engine and lift it with a jack. Be careful not to lift too hard, but you should be able to raise it a couple of inches -or more- in most cases. Check your belt-tensioner clearance now...
*Be aware though, if your fingers are down in there and if that jack slips... Crunch!
Welcome to the site.
1989 SuperCharged 3800 Srs-II (First)Six-Speed GTU
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
Re: 89 Beretta GT 2.8 V6 belt tensioner removal
Yikes! All that work just for a tensioner. But seriously, thank you so much for the comprehensive info. I haven't checked the engine mount situation yet but there does appear to be at least 1" of clearance between the tensioner and frame rail, possibly even closer to 2" I'd say without measuring so I might be able to get a slim wrench in there. And with only 40K or so I'm hoping the mounts are fine although I understand that age itself could have done damage. Will know soon enough, still too cold outside to work on it.
Re: 89 Beretta GT 2.8 V6 belt tensioner removal
It is really not that bad. Harder than some engines of course. When installing the new tensioner, make sure the alignment dowel on the back lines up and plugs into the recess on the timing-case. But consider even the newer Berettas with the 3100 V-6, the newer so-called 'superior' engine-mounts require you to jack up the engine to support it so you can remove the engine mount just to replace the BELT! 
1989 SuperCharged 3800 Srs-II (First)Six-Speed GTU
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
Re: 89 Beretta GT 2.8 V6 belt tensioner removal
Yup, that's why I was hoping there might be enough access to the tensioner through the fender area. What a PITA.